They’re coming soon(-ish) – the British Airways A380 fleet

There are a hundred sites out there for people who want to know all about new planes, building planes etc – this is not one of them.  However, it is worth being aware of the major changes that the BA fleet will be experiencing in 2013.

In May, the first Boeing 787 will be delivered. I haven’t flown on one of these yet. There are real benefits – bigger windows, composite material construction, far higher on-board air quality etc – but as they basically look like any old long-haul plane, it is hard to get too excited about them.

In July, though, BA is due to receive its first Airbus A380.

Business Traveller has a suite of pictures of No 1 here from a trip they did to Toulouse recently.

Flightglobal reports here that the first A380 will join the Winter 2013 timetable, launching late October 2013. However, during the Summer of 2013, it will be flying on short-haul routes from London.

This means that you will have a great opportunity to have a weekend away flying the A380, and getting a fully flat Club World bed in business class for those 2-3 hours!

No-one knows yet where the plane will be rostered, and of course with only one to play with at first, you will never be able to guarantee that it will be flying a certain route, even if timetabled. It is definitely something to keep an eye out for, though.

I was lucky enough to fly First Class on an Emirates A380 a couple of years ago. It was, frankly, the most amazing flight experience I have ever had – the full size bathroom, the in-flight shower, the private ‘suites’ that Emirates have in First Class, the onboard bar etc etc.

Unfortunately, BA will not be importing most of these feature into its A380’s, but it will still be a real experience climbing those stairs for the first time.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.